Confidence Amidst Uncertainty

Bob Dylan sang “The times they are a-changin’” – and of late, it’s been changing at warp speed. There is sense that everything was due three days a ago, and it used to be that banks would call and remind you of late payment after the due date But nowadays they call you one week before it’s due to remind you not to be late. The same is true of young adults who are in such a hurry to prove themselves but not knowing how to.

Let me just cut to the chase and say that it all begins with confidence – if you don’t have this in place, you can pretty much forget about getting ahead in the shark-infested waters of today’s corporate world.

We’ve had some young people who have joined us as interns fresh products of our education system and when they speak, it’s like getting instructions for a top secret mission. Some will say, “I cannot speak English – so I’m shy” so what? Do you need to speak fluently to speak with confidence? I think not. Confidence is believing in yourself and projecting it in everything you do. So if you feel uncertain, take a look at the way you dress – perhaps you need to change that, or maybe increase the tone of your voice. There are many things you can do and do it consistently and you’ll see a whole new you that you’ll be glad to have found.

You Say What?!

Lately, I have had to work with quite a few fresh graduates – and the experience has left me wondering if I’m in a foreign land. It’s not because speaking to them is a new and exotic experience, but because the English spoken seems foreign enough. This makes me think – what’s happening in schools and local universities?

I’ve heard of teachers who suffer trying to instill basic language skills in their students, worried that they will not do well in their English exams. However, when the results are announced, these students will be awarded A’s, but don’t reflect the results at all. So much has been said about the importance of English. The Maths and Science subjects were supposed to have been taught in English – how many schools carried it out?

Have you taken a look at the standard of English used in some of these text books? It’s enough to make you faint. I have also heard that there are some lecturers who refuse to speak in English and are very adamant about it. How can the learning begin when the teaching or teachers in this case refuse to budge?

Scholarships? Yeah Right…

This is the sort of thing that is in danger of being swept under the carpet – yet another piece of news that will soon, if not already, lost its momentum - I am referring to the JPA scholarship (or lack thereof) fiasco. Let’s not just use this as fodder to accompany teh tarik talk – we need to seriously do something about this and it can start with something as simple as letters and emails to the apparent powers that be.

A scholarship is an award of access to an institution, or a financial aid award for an individual student scholar, for the purpose of furthering their education. Scholarships are awarded based on a range of criteria which usually reflect the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award. But nowadays the line which separates the deserving and the not quite is terribly blurred.

It is therefore perfectly understandable why so many are incensed over the issue – that the manner in which scholarships are awarded is inconsistent and in many ways unfair. In an age where there is so much talk of equality and doing what’s right under the pretext of championing students’ rights, the Lee Jia Hui episode couldn’t have come at a better time.

Lee Jia Hui - He’s the one who obtained an offer from Harvard University but whose scholarship application was rejected by local organizations. In addition to Harvard, Lee has also received offers from Princeton, Dartmouth and Cornell, as well as a Wesleyan Asian Freeman Scholarship. How does one make sense of something like that?

The image of most scholarships given out in Malaysia is one that is very academic driven. What’s the use of getting A’s all the time, when you don’t have other skills to compliment it? Getting great grades does not always translate to confidence in presenting oneself or even the ability to communicate well. At first it was 5As, then 9As, on to 10As, and I’ve lost count as to how many A’s does a student require in order to get a scholarship?

Please don’t get me wrong. I’m not in any way saying that education isn’t important but would like to stress that it should also take into serious consideration other areas such as co-curriculum and community service. If the students are guided properly by their educators in the areas of sports and social responsibility, they will be truly holistic individuals not just “machines” churning As.

I studied in the United States of America and it was here I discovered that learning was a breeze and credits much of this to the nurturing nature of the American approach to education. Most of it is founded on a prospectus revolving around the liberal arts and sciences, in which the scope and intensity of study areas are considered equally important.

In response to what’s happened, the ATCEN International Group will be launching the ATCEN Education Fund in 2009 focusing on students who have a great attitude towards learning, self-development and the drive to succeed.

If certain quarters involved in the process of selecting candidates for scholarships say they are fully aware of what a scholarship means and who it should deservedly go to, then they had better do a more convincing job at making us believe they do. The Malaysian education system can be sound and fertile if only its processes were a little more thought out. Undoubtedly, there are individuals within it who are striving for what’s best for these students – but perhaps they should be speaking to those directly involved in it – the students themselves. This episode is an opportunity to set some things right – the most important of which is to make the candidate selection process fair and transparent.

Speak Your Way to the Bank - by Ernie Chen

"I make more in one day than most people make in one year. Hard to believe isn't it! But these kinds of fees are earned by speakers everyday" - Ernie Chen.

And that is absolutely true. My extensive experience in the international speaking and training industry has brought me to realize the fruitfulness of being bestowed the "Guru of Confidence" title. My daily, monthly and annual earnings have not only doubled, but have now TRIPLED from the amount I generated when I heeded the command of my previous boss.

Working for no one but yourself is a destination that most international speakers arrive at. When you have carved a respectful "celebrity speaker" status for yourself (think Tony Robbins), you no longer have to make those cold calls. Believe me, clients from all sorts of industries will be banging down your door pleading for you to speak at their functions.

Unfortunately, the journey to becoming an internationally-renowned speaker is not an easy one. Years and years of trial and error will first deter your sight of the goal. Reading book after book on "the right speaking techniques" is never sufficient to get you there until you put those theories to practice.

That is why we have designed the Professional Speaking Skills Program especially for you. The modules of this program is structured to give you an eye-opening experiential session on what truly makes a great professional speaker.

The details are as below:
Program Title: Professional Speaking Skills
Date: 13th & 14th May 2008
Venue: Istana Hotel Kuala Lumpur
Contact: Samantha Siew (03-77284098, samantha@outloud.com.my).

Kindly visit us at www.outloud.com.my for further information.

Success has never looked so good… - by Ernie Chen

One scholarly article after another reveal what every professional may have already heard of about acquiring professional success. It all seems so boringly generic nowadays – continuous training and education, hard work and determination, teamwork and interpersonal skills, critical thinking and “proper” attitude projection. These elements may play a pivotal role in elevating your climb up the corporate ladder to success; however they do not complete the package. What they constantly forget is the crucial element of grooming and image management.

Current global market and economic trends have brought to an extreme rise in human capital competition. Professionals are beginning to realize the need to “live up” to employers’ expectations in order to maintain a tight grasp on their jobs. Some may possess an advantage over others; as the others are merely clinging on to their paper qualifications to get through job interviews. Those who possess the added advantage are those who value the power of looking good.

The first and perhaps the most crucial moment of professional judgment would be the first impression. No matter how much the corporate world would like to emphasize on the importance of talent, looks undoubtedly play a significant role in defining the first impressions. This includes your fashion personality, your choice of dressing, your hair and makeup style, your fitness and your personal hygiene.

However, grooming and image management does not end at that. Your individual business ethics are equally, if not more, crucial in determining the image projected to the corporate world. This is because your external outlook displays your level of consideration towards adhering to workplace ethics and maintaining optimum professional behaviour.

When dealing with both colleagues and clients, a primary communication style between the sender and the receiver is body language. Handshakes, eye contact, body postures as well as gestures demonstrate the professional’s respect (or lack of it) towards their communication partner. For example, a lack of attentiveness in responding to their partner’s query only serves to frustrate the receiver.

Additionally, etiquettes in social settings, business agendas and dining engagements also determine your level of business ethics. This is because the way of which you behave, act and react in such situations are pivotal in making or breaking your professionalism, as they demonstrate your ability in adapting to the communication styles of others without foregoing your ethics.

The above and more inevitably point towards the burgeoning importance of grooming in the corporate world. True enough, success, when approached well, has never looked so good…